Cardiac Organoids: Promises and Future Challenges

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The development of state-of-the-art, In vitro three-dimensional organoid culture methodologies, represents a quantum leap in stem cell technology and tissue engineering. In contrast to traditional two-dimensional cell culture and rodent models, organoids generated from patient-derived cells can dramatically increase the precision and relevance of In vitro approaches to model human development and disease. Currently, the most well-established organoid systems are those for the intestine, brain, bone, kidney, and eye. Surprisingly, research using cardiac organoids, or "cardioids, is still in a nascent phase, lagging significantly behind these other, more mature, tissuespecific organoid platforms. Consequently, there is an ongoing need to develop more robust and reproducible protocols capable of yielding self-organizing cardiac organoids that assemble following valid cardiogenic principles, recapitulating the microanatomy and cellular hierarchy observed during In vivo cardiac development. Cardiovascular disease is currently the primary cause of death in developed countries, and its prevalence is growing worldwide. Improved cardiac organoid technologies have the potential to facilitate and enhance the application of the new wave of personalized medicine aimed at addressing cardiovascular disease. This book chapter will discuss the development of cardiac organoid research, its present state, and future challenges in detail.